On this day March 1 1986 Valerie premiered on NBC. The family sitcom starred Valerie Harper as Valerie Hogan, a working mother balancing her career and raising three sons while her husband was often away for work. The show mixed comedy with heartfelt moments, making it a hit with audiences.
Valerie ran for six seasons with 110 episodes but underwent major changes after the second season. Due to a contract dispute, Valerie Harper was written out of the show and the series was renamed Valerie’s Family before finally becoming The Hogan Family. Actress Sandy Duncan was brought in as the new lead, playing the boys’ aunt who stepped in to take care of them.
The show remained popular throughout its run and helped launch the career of Jason Bateman who played the eldest son David Hogan. The show also featured a memorable theme song Together Through the Years performed by Roberta Flack.
80s insight: Valerie was created by the same producers behind The Golden Girls and Jason Bateman became the youngest ever director of a sitcom when he directed episodes of the series at just 18 years old.